Diesel power will certainly be at the forefront of Toyota's mind when it offers a taste-test of a bullocking new V8 turbo-diesel, which is destined to power Toyota's 100-Series LandCruiser replacement here by late 2007 – but will first debut in the upgraded and expanded 70-Series LandCruiser workhorse range set for release here before June.
GoAuto sources indicate a 195kW/620Nm single-turbo version destined for Toyota's US-market Tundra pickup will power the updated leaf-sprung 70-Series models here.
Apart from the decades-old 79-Series cab-chassis ute and the iconic two-door 78-Series Troop Carrier (which will continue in three- six- and 11-seat configurations), Toyota will introduce an all-new 76-Series wagon derivative for the first time – complete with five doors, five seats, a lower roof than Troopy and a wider body than 100-Series wagon.
All three trucks will come exclusively with a five-speed manual transmission and part-time 4WD system.
Mated to a six-speed Aisin automatic gearbox, an even more powerful twin-turbo version of the 70-Series' yet-to-appear 4.5-litre diesel V8 will emerge in the LandCruiser 200-Series, as the 100-Series replacement will be known.
With more than 200kW and 650Nm of torque on tap, the standard 200-Series diesel engine will make the 4.2-litre straight-six diesel in the current 100-Series look positively anaemic, but a more powerful 5.0-litre-plus V8 – up from 4.7 and possibly featuring direct-injection – will also power the next-generation Cruiser.
Snapped during testing recently in the Middle East, the 200 body will be slightly larger but remains bolted to a full ladder chassis with all-coil suspension, comprising double front wishbones and a live rear axle to maintain rock-hopping ability.
It will also debut a version of the Australian-developed Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) already offered with the US-only Lexus GX470 (Prado).
Bookending all this will be two locally fettled TRD (Toyota Racing Development) models. The supercharged version of the front-drive Aurion was previewed by the Aurion Sports Concept at the Sydney motor show in October and will make its production debut in March at the Melbourne show.
While it will aim at the likes of Commodore SS and Falcon XR8/XR6 Turbo, the HiLux TRD, which is expected to be powered by a version of the Aurion TRD’s 240kW-plus blown V6, hopes to rival the likes of SS and XR utes when it debuts at next year’s Sydney show. Corolla and Yaris-based TRD variants should follow in 2008.
What's coming from Toyota:
LandCruiser 76-Series 5D wagon May
LandCruiser 78-Series Troop Carrier May
LandCruiser 79-Series Cab-Chassis May
LandCruiser 200-Series wagon Oct
